Customers have complained to my manager about my Scottish accent – some people say they are racist, but others insist I should speak slower
A Scottish woman who was criticized by clients for her accent has sought advice on how to deal with the disturbing comments.
The professional who works for ‘a large organisation’ and has ’99 per cent’ of her department based in London, took to the UK parenting platform Mothernet to vent her frustration and ask if it was reasonable to expect more support from her superiors, who told her to simply “ignore it.”
While some people on stage suggested she shrug off the negative comments and ‘get on with it’, others argued that ‘Scottish accents can be very difficult to understand’, with one person even asking if she might have some ‘speech training ‘ would consider.
Yet some Mumsnet users were angry about the feedback the woman had received – and argued she was the victim of racism.
The message read: ‘I’m Scottish, I work for a large organization where 99% of my department is based in London.
Frustrated by clients’ criticism over her accent, a Scottish woman took to parenting platform Mumsnet to ask for advice on how to handle the situation (stock image)
‘My job involves speaking to clients on a regular basis and many of these clients are also based in and around London. I work remotely.
‘The problem I’m running into is that since I started 2 years ago, there have been about 3 clients who have complained to my manager about not understanding my accent. The most recent complaint was just before that [Christmas].
‘They indicate that my accent is ‘too strong’, that I have an ‘aggressive nature’ and even that he should ‘tell him… to speak English’.
‘I’ve spoken to my manager and his manager about it and they both say I should just ignore it and that they are happy with my work, but that it is bothering me.
‘I worry about continuing to work with these customers and what other customers will say. I feel like my managers are more concerned about their income coming in than how they treat me.
“I’m not talking like I’ve dropped out of Rab C Nesbitt or anything. I may not have the Oxbridge education like some clients (yes, they brought that up), but I actually have several degrees and postgraduate qualifications.
‘I’ve had customers say things like, oh, you’re Scottish, I’ve been there once [very rough area of Glasgow that is nowhere near me] and it was soooo awful. What do I want to say to that? It makes me feel judged, as if being Scottish makes me poor.
‘I have had colleagues who assume that I vote for the SNP and hate the English. I hate the SNP and I don’t hate English (although I do hate some of the accented comments). AIBU wants more support?
The woman described the various criticisms she had received, including being told that her accent is “too strong” and that she has “an aggressive manner.”
Some sympathized with the complaints of the woman’s clients, while also suggesting that their difficulty understanding her was likely due to the fact that they were speaking on the phone and not face-to-face.
One person wrote: ‘I feel for you. That said, some Scottish accents can be very difficult to understand, and when you’re on the phone it becomes even more difficult for some reason.
‘I deal with one guy at work and I’d say I understand maybe 50 percent of what he says. I find phone calls with him so stressful.”
Another wrote: ‘To be honest, the Scottish accent can sometimes be difficult to understand and perhaps your accent is thicker than you think if several people have gone so far as to complain that they can’t understand you.’
A third person went further and asked the woman if she would consider working on her accent with a professional coach.
The person commented, “Can you do some speaking practice? Maybe your work can fund this? Not to lose your accent, but just to learn some techniques to speak clearly.”
Others, however, were dismissive of her clients’ criticisms and encouraged the woman to shrug off their comments.
A fourth Mumsnet user wrote: ‘I would listen to the manager OP’s advice. Keep it up. As long as you work hard and treat people with courtesy, whatever you do, you will be fine.”
Still, a number of people were apparently outraged by what the woman had had to endure, arguing it was “prejudice” and “racism.”
Mumsnet users offered a wide range of opinions, with some encouraging her to shrug off the criticism and others claiming she was the victim of prejudice.
A fifth person stated: ‘It’s prejudice. If you replaced a Jamaican or Indian accent with a Scottish accent, people wouldn’t respond by turning it down or speaking more slowly.”
A sixth user wrote in a similar vein: ‘It’s racism. I work in London and get it occasionally. I have a standard ‘educated’ Edinburgh accent. When I worked in West Lothian my boss thought I was English…
‘There is a section of English society that thinks the whole of Scotland is a council plan and we all dress like Rab C and sit around drinking Tennents (or Buckfast).’
Meanwhile, someone else took the opportunity to simply compliment the Scottish accent: ‘My boyfriend is from Glasgow and I honestly can’t understand him half the time (so it could be real), but I’ve also no problem with that and I think it’s an incredibly sexy accent!’